Water pressure reducer



March 26, 1940. A. E. BUTTS 2,194,884

WATER PRESSURE REDUCER Filed Jan. 12, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m In veniorA.E,Bwiis A tiorneys March 26, 1940. A. E. BUTTS WATER rmss suaz REDUCERFiled Jan. 12, 19:9 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A iiorneys Patented Mar. 26, 1940 vUNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a water pressure reducer especially adaptedfor use on a hot water system employed for furnishing hot water for anypurpose and which includes a safety valve 5 required by law to preventpressure from build-.

ing up to such an extent that would endanger the system. A system ofthis kind frequently discharges hot water from the storage tank thereofby way of the safety valve when the flow of hot water from the system issuddenly stopped at the hydrant due to back pressure suddenly buildingup against the pressure of the incoming water from the water maincausing an upward surging of water in the tank that builds up anexcessive pressure sufficient to open the safety valve and permit thewater tc escape and cause damage. The present invention has for itsprimary object the provision of means for automatically reducing thepressure of the incoming water from the 20 water main when the backpressure occurs and obviates the surging upwardly of the water in thesupply tank and consequently eliminates the temporary excessive pressurewhich heretofore acted to open the safety valve and permit waste of theWater as well as damage.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure lis a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a conventional waterheating arrangement equipped with a water pressure reducer constructedin accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the waterpressure reducer.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating a plunger type valveelement.

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating a plunger type piston.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a storagetank of a hot water heating system, 6 the outlet pipe of said tankequipped with the usual hydrant or faucet l for obtaining hot water fromthe supply tank as needed. Connected with the supply tank 5 is aconventional type of heater 8 for the purpose of heating the water inthe supply tank to a desired temperature. The tank 5 by the requirementof law must be equipped with a safety valve 8 so that should excessivepressure buildup in the tank it may escape. A water supply pipe I isconnected with the tank andto a water main H for furnishing water to thetank as wateris drawn fromthe tank by way of the faucet 1. It has beenfound in actual practice that when the faucet l is quickly closed a backpressure is silddenly created in the tank against the pressure of theincoming water causing an upward surging of water in the supply tanksufiicient to build in an excessive pressure causing the valve 9 to openand allow waste of water and damage To overcome this objection to awater heating system of the character described the present invention isconnected thereto between the water supply pipe it and the water main I!so that when the back pressure is created in the supply tank by thesudden closing of the faucet J the supply of water to thetank from thewater main will be automatically and temporarily cut off. The water mainremains closed to the tank by the present invention until the upwardsurging of the water in the tank 5 has stopped and the present inventionthen automatically restores the communication of the water main to thetank 5 by way of the water supply pipe ID.

V The present invention consists of a valve housing l2 threaded onto thewater main II at its a lower end and is equipped at said end with avalve seat E3 of tubular construction having a series of ports It and inwhich is slidably mounted a plunger-type valve provided with a stem H5.The ports H! are opened and closed by the sliding movement of the valveelement l5. The valve housing l2 has an outlet neck I! and a stuifingbox 18 including a guide I9. The stem extends through the stuffing boxl8 and the guide i9 and has mounted thereon a coiled spring 20, one endof which bears against the'guide l9 and the other end against the collar2! fixed on the stem. The spring 20 normally acts to position the valveelement 15 to close the ports l4 while the flow of water from the mainacts on the valve element IE to slide the same upwardly stuffing box 25to contact the upper end of the stem l6 of the valve element E5. Thewater pressure in the by-pass pipe 23 normally maintains the piston 26in contact with the stem iii of the valve element I5.

Under normal operating conditions, the valve element I5 is in itsuppermost position, as shown in Figure 2, to open the ports I l so thatwater from the main may reach the supply tank 5. The valve element I5remains in this position as long as conditions are normal and water isbeing drawn from the supply tank by way'of the faucet 1. However, whenthe faucet I is suddenly closed, stopping the flow of incoming water,the spring 20 moves the valve element 15' downwardly closing the ports Mcutting off the supply of water to the tank 5 and thereby eliminatingthe possibility of the water being caused to surge upwardly and bringabout building up of excessive pressure in the tank sufficient to openthe safety valve. When the faucet is opened the pressure of water raisesthe valve I5 to open ports l4 and thereby restore the supply of water tothe tank 5.

While I have described and shown a plunger type valve l5 and acylindrical type seat, it is to be understood that this invention cansuccessfully operate with another type of valve element and valve seat.Also, it is to be understood that while this invention has been shownand described in connection with a hot water heating system of aparticular construction, the invention is readily adaptable to othertypes of systems.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connectionwith the drawings will fully set forth the construction and advantagesof this invention to those skilled in the art to which such inventionrelates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a hot water supply tank having asafety valve, a supply line for said tank, valve controlled deliverymeans leading from said tank, and means for preventing opening of thesafety valve when back pressure is developed in said tank by the suddenclosing of the valve controlled delivery means, comprising a casing inthe supply line to said tank and having a valve seat, a valve in saidcasing adapted to engage said seat and provided with a stem and tendingto be opened by the supply line pressure, spring means to normallymaintain said valve seated, a cylinder having a piston therein forapplying pressure to said stem in opposition to the opening pressure,the valve, stem and piston being so constructed that the areas thereoftending to efiect opening of the valve by pressure are equal to theareas tending to close said valve by pressure.

2. In a device of the class described, a water supply tank having asafety valve, a supply line for said tank, valve controlled deliverymeans connected to said tank, and means for preventing opening of thesafety valve when back pressure is developed in said tank by the suddenclosing of the valve controlled delivery means comprising a valve in thesupply line to said tank tending to be opened by the supply linepressure, means acting to normally maintain said valve closed, and meansfor applying pressure to said valve in opposition to the openingpressure, said last-mentioned means being so constructed that the areasthereof tend to eifect closing of said valve by pressure equal to theareas tending to open said valve by pressure.

ALGERNON E. BUTTS.

